Suddenly
by Paper Bullet
Summary: Rukia has suddenly been blessed with the ability to read minds. Ichigo Kurosaki never did like telepathy. HIchiRuki with hints of IchiRuki
1. Reality

**Suddenly**

_Part One: Reality  
_

Groaning weakly, Rukia put the back of her hand to her forehead. The throbbing pain was nearly unbearable, and the circular motion she now used against her temples did little to help. She stared up toward the stark white ceiling inside of Ichigo's closet, basking in the darkness it permitted until she slid the door open. That was something she was not looking forward to. "This gigai must be defected," she mumbled, instantly regretting it as the sound of her own voice made her eardrums vibrate inside of her headache.

She'd had a lot of problems with the fake body recently, and she'd have to see Urahara about it. Leave it to the dirty pervert to find the cheap way out and given her a bad gigai. Hell, he'd done it before...

Shaking her head and trying not to think about unpleasant times such as her execution, she reluctantly sat up on the makeshift bed. Taking a mental breath, her slender fingers swept across the door, sliding it open. Instantly, light attacked her vision and she recoiled slightly into the back of the closet. As the obnoxious pain started to alleviate, she draped her legs over the side of the small cot and hopped down onto the floor. Yet another day.

Quickly dressing into the school uniform, she jumped out of the window and slid down the angled shingles, landing on the moist grass with a graceful _thud_. She imagined Ichigo would already be at school; he had left early for some reason, and was noisy about it, too. Something about schoolwork and whatnot.

Many people flooded the streets as she casually strolled along the sidewalk. _These people are awfully noisy. _She saw a teenage, gruff-looking boy walking in the opposite direction of her.

_I'd like to hit that_, the boy thought.

Rukia whipped around. "Excuse me?!" Normally, she'd have her naive, innocent school girl facade on, but today was just _not _her day. She was in the mood to hit something, and unfortunately for the boy, it just might be him.

The muscular teenager turned to face her, wondering what she was talking about. "The hell you want?" he spat. _Probably a good time_, he thought smugly.

"For you to shut the hell up, that's what! Who do you think you are, anyway?" she bit out venomously. Her hand curled up into a shaking ball, ready to knock him good.

"Eh?" He was utterly confused. _I always gotta like the crazy bitches. _He jerked from his thoughts as a fist punched into his jaw, snapping his head to the side. He stumbled backward, cupping his cheek in pain. _Dayum!_

Rukia hadn't taken into account that when he spoke, she didn't see his mouth moving. She was just too caught up in letting off some steam. Satisfied with her direct hit, she turned and made her way to the school.

She was late, and winced slightly as the bell's incessant ringing made her headache return. She also cringed at what her Nii-sama would think if he knew she had been late, whether the place she was going to was trivial or not. Making her way through the empty halls, she popped into her first class: Chemistry. She could hear the students' faint voices, and wondered why everyone was whispering. She walked over to Ichigo, her lab partner, and whispered a short "Hey."

"Why're you whispering?" he asked in his normal tone.

Rukia looked confused, but shrugged. Maybe everyone was just gossiping about something.

_Man, she can be so weird sometimes._

"You know what!" she snapped and jerked her gaze to him.

The orange-haired boy raised his left eyebrow. "What's your deal?"

"You," she muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, trying to keep the offense from showing in his voice.

Rukia sighed and started working, for once not trying to start a fight. When the bell rang, she heard a bunch of whispered 'finally's. "Alright, see you after school," she waved Ichigo off and met up with Orihime in the hallway. The bad thing about this year was that she only had one class with Ichigo. At least Orihime was in a few of them.

"Rukia!" Orihime greeted with a bright smile. Uryuu soon caught up with the two. "Hey Uryuu!"

_God you're beautiful, Orihime.  
_

Rukia nearly choked. "What?!" Her eyes shifted to Uryuu instantly. He only looked at her curiously. "Are you and...Orihime--going out?"

"Of course not, Rukia. Why would you think that?" Orihime's voice was completely innocent. _Uryuu would never feel about me that way, just like Ichigo_, she thought dejectedly.

Rukia quickly became uncomfortable, and the three had stopped walking by now.

_Why would she think we were going out? Orihime's far too good for me._

"Do you two hear yourselves? You just admitted--Ahh! I must be going crazy." She stormed off, leaving the two running to catch up with her.

"Rukia...?" Orihime was the brave one to speak up. "Are you alright?"

Rukia stopped and turned to Orihime. She had to be going insane, that was the only logical explanation. "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"Of course not, Rukia!" Orihime smiled.

_A little_, Uryuu Ishida muttered mentally. He pushed up his glasses.

Rukia's eyes widened. "Your mouth didn't move. You...You--"

_It generally doesn't move when you aren't speaking...What has gotten into her? _he thought sarcastically. Uryuu wasn't the only one freaked out at the moment.

Orihime seemed oblivious to everything. "We're going to be late you two!"

"Right," both mumbled simultaneously, still in deep thought. Rukia had to test something. "Say, Orihime..." she paused. "What do you think about...About Ichigo?" That was a harmless question, right?

_He's the most amazing man I've ever known. I don't think I'll ever stop loving him. _"He's a great friend! Why do you ask?"

Rukia knew Orihime would never say such a thing out loud, and as both sets of countering words filled her ears, she knew the orange-haired girl had only spoken one of them. _I can...I can hear what they're thinking? I knew it. I am going crazy._

Walking into the Trigonometry classroom, Rukia sat down at her seat with a wary expression on her face. Everything seemed so much louder then, now that she was aware of her...mental issue.

_I can't believe he broke up with me! I have half a mind to castrate that man. So help me God, if I see him with Laura again, I'll bitch slap his ass all the..._

_Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. I didn't study, and now I'm going to fail, and be grounded..._

_I hate my life._

_I hope Aiko knows Laura's my sister, and I only broke up with her because she's acting like..._

_School sucks._

_Why don't my parents just butt out?! Grahh!_

Rukia's eye was twitching by this point. Humans were whiny little things, weren't they?

_I really hate these kids._

Rukia's head jerked to face the teacher at the front of the class. Relentless babbling filled her ears and she cupped her hands over them. "Will you all shut up!" she yelled in annoyance. Everyone dropped what they were doing to look at her.

_What's her deal?_

She smiled sheepishly and raised her hand. "Uhm, I'm not feeling too well, may I go to the nurse?"

The teacher nodded. "Orihime, why don't you--"

"That's not necessary, thank you." The raven-haired girl quickly stood up and rushed out of the classroom, instantly taking in deep breaths. It was as if the room was closing in on her and her lungs were slowly but steadily getting ready to collapse. As if at the opportune moment, her hollow-detector beeped. This was another thing that was bad about Ichigo being in different classrooms. Although, they had come up with a sign.

Rukia ran down the hallway--glad that it was empty--and arrived at Ichigo's History class. She peeked through the little window and spotted Ichigo in the front row. Damn, a sign didn't work if he wasn't looking at her. Knocking on the door, she sighed and waited for the teacher to open it.

"Ahh, Miss Kuchiki. What can I do for you?" he asked with a slightly annoyed smile.

"I need to borrow Ichigo for a moment."

The man rolled his eyes. She _always _needed to borrow him for a moment. And "a moment" usually was a few hours, by which time the class was already over. "What for this time?"

It would've been smart if she thought this through before hand. Thinking quickly on her feet, she made up something random. "Ahhmmm, family emergency!" she exclaimed, feinting worry. She tugged on her collar, knowing Ichigo was looking.

The teacher sighed. "Go ahead, Kurosaki. Just be prepared to make up any work you miss." He hadn't finished speaking before Ichigo was out the door and running down the hallway next to Rukia.

"So where is it?" Ichigo asked, taking long strides.

Rukia had no trouble keeping up. "At the park near Granby Street," she stressed, knowing it was a few miles from the school.

Rukia then, along the way there, listened to his thoughts. Her assumptions were confirmed; ever-so-often she would look over to see his mouth still, but the words flowing out like normal.

_Damn, the hollow rate has gone up within the past month. Nothing too suspicious, but I still have to be on alert._

It was just like Ichigo to be stressing out about protecting everyone and making sure he was a hero at everything. Rukia smiled to herself, thinking back to the first few days she had spent with him after transferring her powers to him. He couldn't find a reason for going out of his way to save someone, and now, it was all he wanted to do. She liked to think she played some role in his transformation.

After arriving, Ichigo quickly got out of his gigai and gripped Zangetsu from behind him, the white bandages falling. It was somewhat graceful, but aggressive nonetheless. He glared toward the hollow, who then started yapping about the only thing every other hollow talked about when he arrived. "A soul reaper!" they would say, or, "Yum!" He was slightly on edge about this one, though.

"A female Shinigami!" It's high-pitched squeal was almost deafening. His gaze didn't leave Rukia, as if he hadn't acknowledge Ichigo one bit.

"Over here, you bastard!" Ichigo jumped high into the air and came down with force. _I'll be damned before I let it hurt Rukia._

Rukia was caught off guard by that, still confusing people's thoughts for what they said out loud. A long, tentacle-like arm swept across the sky, descending downward until it connected with her flesh. Her body flew to the side until finally hitting the ground and rolling across the cement. The impact had left dust blowing up, creating a foggy beige color in the air.

"Rukia!" he shouted, wanting to go tend to her, but knew he had to deal with the hollow first. He hastily turned his attention back to the rotten soul and swung Zangetsu toward its head. Without paying any mind to how easily or fast that went, he rushed to Rukia's limp figure.

_Damn it. I should've been paying closer attention. Don't be hurt, Rukia._

Rukia was a tough girl, and although in human form, that smack only left her with a few cuts and bruises. But she played this off. And she didn't know why she kept pretending like she was unconscious, but she knew it had something to do with hearing Ichigo's true voice.

_**Look at her, Ichigo. Isn't that cute, how easily she can be wounded?**_

Rukia's body instantly stiffened. _Ichigo's...was that his hollow? _She was still very much in shock and slightly disbelieving at the fact she had acquired this telepathic ability. In fact, up until now, her first priority was to see Urahara about it and ask him how the hell something like this could occur. But now...she was scared. And there were very little things she was afraid of. Her brother's disapproval, Gin Ichimaru, and this...this thing.

_**I know your thoughts Ichigo, you can't hide it from me! It kills you, The King of all people, to see her like this! Tch, how pathetic she is.**_

_Shut up! Stop talking about her like that. _By this point, he had returned to his human form and lifted Rukia's seemingly unconscious form from the concrete.

_**Does it bother you? Why? She's just a little bitch...**_

_I said shut up!_

_**Just a little bitch**_, the voice sang. _**That you're in love with.**_

Rukia let in a quick gasp of air and her eyes shot open. Now she knew she was insane. She wasn't hearing voices of other people's thoughts...she had to of been hearing her own. Because Ichigo Kurosaki did _not _love her.

Ichigo looked down to her with slight worry. "Hey, how're you feeling?" His voice was as casual as usual.

Rukia realized why he must've always held a scowl on his face...That voice was annoying! That hollow voice...she'd scowl, too, if she heard it all the time. _No, stop thinking that. You can't hear anyone. You're just going crazy_, she convinced herself. "I'm fine, put me down, Ichigo."

_She doesn't look fine. She looks like she's...afraid of me._

**_Why wouldn't she be, King? Actually it's not technically you she's afraid of._**

_What're you talking about? _Ichigo was annoyed to no end, but he had learned to live with this.

**_She's afraid of me._**

This made Ichigo pause his walk, his body resembling a frozen sculpture. Rukia climbed down from his arms, and even though she didn't believe she could really hear him--them--, the thoughts sure did seem to match his reactions...

_What do you mean?_

**_She can hear me. You. Us. She can hear our thoughts right now._**

_Bull shit, how--_

"He's right, Ichigo." Rukia stared up at him.

**_Oh how good it is to talk with you for the first time like this. How are you Rukia?_**

_Shut up! Don't talk to her!_

Ichigo soon after blushed, remembering what his hollow self had revealed. "Rukia...I..."

_Damn, can she really hear me?_

"Yes. And Ichigo--"

"Damn it Rukia, how long are you gonna sleep?"

"What?" Rukia raised an eyebrow.

"It's twelve already! Wake the Hell up!"

Ichigo's arm outstretched to her with a smile. And as he was about to mutter those three, lovely words, her eyes opened.

"Rukia!" There was a banging on the closet door and it finally slid open.

The tired girl quickly shot up and grasped Ichigo's collar. "Quick, think something!"

"What the--"

"Just do it, Ichigo!" There was a pause, and as much as she would like to think Ichigo thought about nothing sometimes, she knew it was impossible. "I can't hear...your..." She suddenly felt ashamed for her dream. Why would she dream something like _that_?

_**Until next time, Rukia.**_

The last fading thoughts of her sleeping stupor faded and she was now fully awake. "Just forget it," she mumbled to Ichigo.

* * *

**AN:** Ahh, so like...I started this out and was like "omg best idea ever!" and then it turned out SO differently and I didn't like it.

I had planned to make a LOT of filler stuff to emphasize more on the point of her telepathic ability, and in fact didn't intend for it to be a dream.

But then I got to thinking, and made it a dream as a way to connect between Dark Ichigo and Rukia.

So, you, as a reader, have a choice.

This can be a oneshot, whereas the pairing is Ichigo/Rukia. OR, I can turn it into a twoshot with a developing pairing of Hollow Ichigo/Rukia. This would be Part Two: Dreams.

Hoped you all enjoyed. Even if it didn't turn out how I wanted :P

Reviews are loved!


	2. Dreams

**Suddenly**

_Part Two: Dreams_

Today hadn't gone very well. Rukia found herself trying as hard as she could to hear the thoughts of others… It just seemed so real. It couldn't have been a dream, it was impossible! Oorrrr, maybe she was just in denial. _I am not in denial. _But she was. When Ichigo had told --or thought, really-- her that he loved her, it had made her mind swirl from all the pretty colors that filled her thoughts. There was red, the national symbol of love. Orange, a masculine orange at that, that represented Ichigo. A soft purple, her, of course. Yellow, such a friendly color. Blue, green, pink. They all mixed together and she had completely lost sight for a moment.

And then she woke up, and heard _him _saying his goodbye.

"_Until next time, Rukia."_

That voice was so…awful. She hated it, and hated him. But he was a part of Ichigo, and she would have to deal with it. Besides, it was just a dream after all --she had come to finally agree with herself on this-- and he wasn't coming after her.

But still, lying there in her makeshift bed inside of Ichigo's closet, she didn't want to fall asleep. She didn't know why, but there was just a feeling inside…deep inside the pit of her stomach. It ate at her. Sighing, she realized the foolishness of her worries. Snapping her eyes shut, she forced sleep to come. And once it did, she found out it wasn't so bad. Just a normal dream.

She was in some strange park that only her imagination could've thought up. The swings were suspended in the air, as if time had stopped. A chill wind blew by, and there was a slight ringing in her ears.

"Rukia."

A cold spike rippled down her spine at the sound. Her eyes warily shifted to the side. She hadn't realized she was sitting on a bench until now, but she was, and next to her was Ichigo…but not. It was him, but it wasn't. His eyes were so different, and…everything was so different. This was not Ichigo. "Who are you?" she bit out bravely.

"Ruuukiiiiaaaa!" the hollow sang.

"Stop saying my name! Tell me what you're doing here! This is my dream, isn't it?!" Wait. _I know I'm dreaming? _Her harsh expression softened as she went into deep thought. How could she be consciously aware of her unconscious thoughts?

"It's your dream, you put me here," he stated as if it was painfully obvious. It wasn't.

"No. You're wrong, I'd never dream of _you_! It'd only be a nightmare if you were in it." Score one for Rukia.

"And who said this wasn't a nightmare?" He laughed at this, and at her new expression. Score a billion for him.

She didn't know why she was afraid. She shouldn't be. It usually took a lot to frighten someone like her, but it mattered not, for she was scared out of her wits. She jerked up from the bench and launched to her right, running as fast as she could.

Her lungs ached at the cold air she greedily inhaled, and her legs begged her to stop. She wouldn't. Her eyes clenched shut from the cramping in her side.

"Ah-Ah-Ah!" the look-a-like said through a smug smile, catching her by the back of her shirt. "My, it's so _boring _living with The King. Now that I can somehow have fun like this for a few hours, I'm glad he met you!" And he was. Because before, he had found her a nuisance. An annoying little girl, and he had no idea why Ichigo loved her. He still didn't, because he _knew _his King would never play with Rukia like this. And boy would he be mad if he found out. Which brought him to his next point. "You're not going to tell him." He still had a grip on her shirt as she fruitlessly tried to escape. He let go, but in one fluid motion grabbed her wrist to spin her around. "Because that would cause complications to arise."

Rukia's eyes shifted to her captured wrist and then glared toward the eyes she loathed with a passion. "As soon as I figure out how to wake up, it'll be the first thing I do."

A smirk spread across the hollow's lips. "Really. Then this will be more fun than I imagined." When he saw the petite Shinigami's questioning eyes, he continued. "See, can't have him knowing about this ability I suddenly have. Because then he won't let me out to play _at all_. And he already doesn't do it enough. So now, until you wake up, I'll have to spend my time doing things to you that will make you keep quiet."

Rukia's eyes widened at the thought, fear-filled. _Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! _she yelled over and over again. "Wait, shouldn't I be able to hear your thoughts like before?" She felt the grip around her wrist slacken, and then release completely.

"Guess it was only a one-time deal. But then again, I speak whatever I think, so…Speaking of which! I'm ready to play now."

"P-Play?" she stammered, dreading whatever was to come.

Closing his eyes, he started to count aloud. "ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR…"

Rukia took no time in quickly turning around and jetting away from the crazed psychopath. _God, what's he counting to?_

"EIGHTEEN! NINETEEN! TWENTY…"

She could hear his loud roars fading away with every step she took. This world was foreign to her, and she didn't know where she could go. Anywhere but here, she thought. Any place far enough from that monster.

Slowing to a steady stop, she rested her hands on her knees, bending over to allow her pants to slow. Once she calmed herself, she stealthily slid along the shadows of weird-shaped buildings. Something shiny caught her eye and she glanced over to the knife. It was her best bet. Grabbing it, she stuffed it inside her Shinigami uniform sleeve --when had she changed into that?-- and looked around for a decent hiding space. Finding a medium-sized box, she, without hesitation, jumped inside and closed the lid. Darkness engulfed her, and all she could do was listen and wait. She only had to have him looking until she woke up. If he couldn't find her by then, she'd be thankful. Extremely thankful.

It seemed like hours went by, and she wondered if he had given up. Her limbs were numb and cramped from their position, and she was having difficulty quieting her breathing. It was then that she heard footsteps.

They seemed to stop right outside of her hiding place, and she involuntarily held her breath. When they continued walking, she exhaled silently. _It's gotta be getting close to seven in the morning. Only a few more minutes_, she reassured herself. But before she knew it, the lid to the box was lifted, and so was she.

Picking her up by the front of her shirt, he smiled. "Rukiaaa…Guess what--I found you." A menacing look filled his eyes, tormenting her more than he thought they were capable of.

The tiny Soul Reaper reached over her chest and pulled the knife from her sleeve, stabbing it into his shoulder. Her vision then began fading. She was waking up.

"Bitch stabbed me!" he groaned, dropping her to the ground. He realized the setting around him was slowly diminishing, and he knew his time was almost up. Damn, this was earlier than he expected. He bent down and gripped her throat, lifting her into the air once more, and slammed her into a wall. "Listen, you tell him, and it won't be only you I come after." He paused, remembering something. "Oh, and good luck on that test today."

* * *

Rukia jerked awake and immediately sat up. Sweat rolled down nearly every inch of her body, and her breathing was irregular. "Hey, you alright?" She looked over and saw Ichigo staring in at her from the closet doorway.

"I'm fine," she lied, avoiding his eyes. Some part of her assumed those awful yellow eyes would be staring back at her.

School was slow, and she was glad. The History test wasn't bad, and she thought she did pretty well, as she did on all the tests in every subject -- human school was so easy. She had used all of her strength to stay awake during study block. The last thing she needed was shouting through her nightmarish sleep in front of twenty other human students. She glanced at the clock through heavy lids, relieved there was only five minutes left until study hall was over and she headed to Gym; she knew, there, she wouldn't have a problem staying awake. A hand on her shoulder made her jump.

"Hey Rukia," Renji greeted casually. The study hall monitor had just left to fill in for another teacher's class. "You don't look so good today."

No shit she didn't look good. How could she after last night? "I'm fine," she lied. Her eyes were on her friend, but not looking at him all the same. Her mind were far away from Ichigo's school, or even the planet for that matter, at the moment. Half of her believed that it really was just a couple of bad nightmares. Coincidence. And even if they happened again, it was just some unhealthy fear she had of Ichigo's hollow that had stuck in her subconscious and leaked into her dreams. And the other half had no doubt it was the real thing, that it _was _him she was hiding from in that box, not just something her imagination cooked up. Renji broke through her thoughts again.

"Have you noticed Ichigo's been acting a little strange today?" he asked, noticing now that she was acting even more strange than the orange-haired boy.

"No, how so?"

"I dunno. He just seems…distant," Renji replied as he looked at Rukia whom was zoning into space. "And so do you."

As Rukia was about to reply, the bell rang and she internally sighed in relief at the excuse to get away from Renji's scrutiny.

Gym went by quicker than she hoped, and she hated it. After school, she met up with Ichigo, Orihime, Uryuu, Renji, and Chad.

"Hey Rukia!" Orihime greeted brightly.

A flash of her dream of telepathy went through her mind, namely the time when she had heard Orihime's and Uryuu's thoughts. They seemed to be oddly accurate, and she couldn't help but believe every word. "Hey Orihime," Rukia said with a half-smile. Her stare averted to Ichigo, who seemed to be in deep thought.

_Something's different_, the substitute Soul Reaper mused. _Something's way different, I can feel it. He's not so…There. He's quiet and it's like…Graahh, I can't explain it_.

"Ichigo," the deep tone of Sado rang, stirring him from his private thoughts. When he received a "Hm?" in response, the absurdly strong man continued. "You look different."

As everybody was walking down the street outside, they immediately looked over to Ichigo Kurosaki. Everybody except Rukia, who had been too engrossed in her own thoughts to be paying attention. "You're right," Uryuu agreed. They all stopped now, wheeling in front of Ichigo. Uryuu grabbed Rukia by her shirt sleeve to stop her, too, since she hadn't realized everyone else had. She also now focused on Ichigo's difference. But no one could seem to pinpoint it.

"Your eyes," Rukia stated nonchalantly. Instantaneously, all eyes were locked with the carrot top's. There were a lot of 'oh's and 'hn's.

"Will you all stop staring at me?!" Ichigo snapped and pushed past them all, annoyed. "Geeze," he breathed.

* * *

Rukia stood in front of the closet door, staring at it as it radiated an ominous aura. "What's wrong?" she heard Ichigo ask.

"Nothing." Her voice was too emotionless to convince him.

"Rukia, despite what you might think, you're not the best liar." Ichigo sat up in his bed and stared at her back. "Now tell me what's wrong."

"He left you alone today, didn't he?"

Ichigo's eyes widened and he let a surprised sound escape his lips. "How do you know that?" He became impatient when she didn't answer him and he jumped out of the bed. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he spun her around and tightened his already-firm grip. "Rukia, answer me!"

"I can tell by how distracted you were today," she half-lied. The side that believed these dreams were real grew bigger with this evident fact.

Eyes softening, he let his arm dangle limply, falling from her shoulder. "Get some sleep, it'll do you good." He looked to her quizzically as she had a slightly awkward smile. It was as if she knew some inside joke he didn't.

"Right," she laughed and turned back to the closet. Sliding it open, she crawled into her nightmare.

It was a different setting this time. The room was pitch black, and only about the size of Ichigo's room. She turned in a half-circle, searching for some form of light. She spun around again, halting to a stop when she caught sight of two yellow eyes. Reflexively, she jumped back, her back hitting the wall as she recoiled as far as she could. The sound of a thud on either side of her head was heard as hands rested on the wall behind her, cornering her between two unfamiliar arms.

"Ruuukiiiiiaaa." The whisper rolled of his tongue in a single breath, caressing her right cheek as she turned her head to the side to avoid the sweet scent. This caused him to chuckle slighty and he pushed his face closer to her.

Rukia sank down to the floor in attempt to free herself from his cornering position, but he simply followed, crouching in front of her as his hands slid down the smooth wall. "Heheheheh! Rukia! Do you know how long it's been since our last encounter? Far too long. I was soooo bored, and I left _him _alone for a change. It was odd. I was bored, but at the same time preoccupied. With planning our next meeting."

Rukia involuntarily winced at the familiarity he held toward her. How he talked to her as if they were a couple of drinking buddies. Pushing forward, she head butted him, successfully knocking him out of the way. She blindly jumped up and ran to the opposite wall. "Stay away!"

"I'm not sure whether I like this theme you have here or not. You could've dreamt something far more entertaining, but I kind of like the darkness." His voice grew louder, she noticed, and she realized it was because he was closing in on her again.

Swinging a fist randomly, her eyes widened as it was caught with ease. "Let go!"

"No," he breathed.

She felt her heart pace quicken as his body pressed against hers. _What is he doing? _The hard wall behind her and the hard body in front of her made her shiver slightly in fear.

"Rukia," he whispered as his lips pressed against her ear. When he realized she had froze with fright, he smirked against her lobe. "Wake up, Rukia."

Rukia's eyes flashed open and, unexpectedly, light attacked her eyesight. She was in Ichigo's arms and she felt her body moving up and down. As her senses came back to her, she realized she was being carried. "Urahara!" she heard Ichigo's voice call.

"Yes, Ichigo?" the shop owner answered and walked sleepily from his room. "What's wrong with her?" he asked casually at the sight of Rukia. Kisuke always did have the unnatural ability to keep calm at most times.

"It's him. He's…he can _talk _to her." The orange-headed boy hadn't realized she'd awoke. However, he did when he set her down on a blanket Urahara laid out. "Rukia," he said less harshly than his other words. "Are you alright?"

Rukia only stared up at the ceiling of the shop, still frozen in fear.

"Calm down, Ichigo, and start from the beginning," Mr. Hat-n-Clogs soothed.

"I spent all day at school wondering what was different. And then Rukia…I could hear her in her sleep. And she wouldn't wake up! I tried shaking her and everything. He's…Ahhrrg, he's able to somehow interact with her in her sleep. Tell me how to fix this Urahara!" he commanded. He knew how his inner self could be, and he mentally punched a wall at the thought of him being able to be alone with Rukia. Even if it was in an unconscious state.

"Hmm, strange," the store owner commented, rubbing his chin with the side of his index finger. "Usually, communication in dreams only occurs if both people _strongly _want to communicate that way. And It doesn't just happen by wanting to. Only a few people have been known to have this ability."

"Wait, are you saying…Rukia _wants _to talk with him?"

Kisuke Urahara held a skeptical expression. Glancing at Rukia's near-catatonic state, even he was doubtful of his theory. "Unlikely, but still possible. People don't usually _want _to see Freddy Kruger." He grinned at his joke.

Knee-slapper, Ichigo thought sarcastically.

But he was right before. As Rukia stared at the ceiling, she felt the strange sensation to fall back asleep. It was weird. It was like this growing addiction, and she denied it, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew it was true. Closing her eyes, she tried to block out Ichigo and Urahara's voices.

"Shit, she's going to sleep again! How do I stop her? Rukia!"

"Calm down, Ichigo. A person can't go without sleeping. I'll look into it, but as of now, there's nothing I can do."

"Bull shit! Are you telling me I'm supposed to just watch as _he _torments her in her sleep!?"

The voices slowly faded as she drifted to a slumber. It was the same room, but with a bright light over head, illuminating the small area. In a corner, blending in, she saw him. He shrugged away from the wall and walked toward her. "Are you afraid, Rukia?" Because God knows she should be.

"Yes."

"Then why did you come back?" A frown marked his confusion.

"I…don't know." Did she? She didn't think she did. Her eyes followed him as he walked over to her and then sat beside her. She slid down against the wall, her arm brushing against his and she hugged her knees to her chest.

"You're a strange girl." And at that moment, Rukia mused at how his serious tone --which was rarely used-- sounded scarier than the menacing one.

"I know." A smile filled her absent expression. Her deep violet irises shifted to the corner of her eyes. "You're a strange…whatever you are."

"Rukiaaa, Rukia!" he laughed through a large grin. "I think this is even more fun than fighting. Well, not really…this…this talk stuff. More like the hide-n-seek that we play, and the tormenting I cause, and the scared expressions you give off. But," he paused momentarily, "I don't even think those are the best things."

Rukia looked at him warily, wondering what kind of sick thing he was talking about.

"You're the best part, Rukia! Ahahahaha, Ruukia! You're simply…off-limits, forbidden by the King…that's the best part."

Her eyes narrowed and then shot wide open as she felt a hand wrap around her wrist. A sudden force then pulled her onto his lap, and as she struggled, he grabbed her left wrist with his right hand and pulled it diagonally across her body, doing the opposite with the other wrist. Her arms resembled a straightjacket, she thought sourly. But that quickly left her mind as she realized the restricted position she was in, and that she was completely defenseless. _Unless_, she pondered and tried kicking her feet around wildly. He let this continue, baring the slight sting of her heels digging into his shins as she tried kicking in attempt to free herself. She did this until she tired herself out, and he smirked when she finally relaxed her back against him, her head resting back on his chest.

"Rukia." Saying her name made shivers of pleasure surge through him, and her warmth only heightened the shudders.

"Tell me, if I fall asleep in a dream, would you be there, too?" she asked tiredly.

"Tch," he scoffed. "Only if you wanted it." He rested his head on the wall behind him and looked up to the light. "You know that I'm only hear because you and I _both _want it," he taunted. He sighed when he realized she had fallen asleep against him.

* * *

Rukia's eyes opened and she found herself under the stares of Urahara, Ichigo, Renji, and Yoruichi (who, by the way, was in feline form).

"How are you feeling?" Yoruichi's clean, male voice rang.

"Fine," Rukia answered with a forced smile.

"Ah, we were just discussing what was going on. And Rukia, I'm sure you know even more than we do," Urahara explained.

"What did he do to you Rukia? Did he hurt you?" Ichigo tired to control his outrage.

"I…" she paused, suddenly irritated by the stares. She sat up, a wet rag falling from her forehead. "I'm fine, stop worrying about me! All of you!" She glared at each one of them. "I'm going for a walk."

"Rukia…!" Renji jumped up to stop her.

"Look, I'm awake. Wide awake. He can't reach me while I'm like this. Would you rather my lie back down and try to rest?"

Renji grimaced and nodded.

Rukia let out a long breath of air once she reached the outside of the store. _What time is it? _she wondered and continued walking along the street. As cars raced by, a thought crossed her mind.

_If I was in a coma… No, that's ridiculous. _It's not like she wanted to be trapped with that thing for a few months. Ha! Now _that _would be Hell. Still, she couldn't stop her legs from walking onto the busy streets until she stood in front of an oncoming car whose horn honked and tires let off a screeching sound as it tried to stop in time. A loud bang sounded from the impact of her frail figure against the cold steel. A crack was then heard as her head smacked against the pavement. It was then that her lights went out.

Rukia found herself strapped to a wall with her arms pinned to her side, the only thing moveable being her head. As the ghostly figure approached her, she shook in fright at the look in his eyes.

"Such a fool. You know you'll be stuck here with me for weeks, maybe months, right?" He stopped in front of her, smiling with wild eyes that could only belong to someone like him.

"I was counting on that." Rukia smirked slightly, relishing in the adrenaline her fear gave off.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hum, okay! There was Part Deux! Hoped you liked it. I grow more and more attached to this pairing every day. Go HIchiRuki! With some slight IchiRuki, eh?

I'd be eternally grateful if you reviewed! Thanks :D


	3. Wishes

Author's Note: Okay, so this was a twoshot originally…and then everyone was like "can't wait for the next chap" so…ha, yeah. I went back an reread the second chapter and realized I did kind of leave it open-ended. Thus, I'm continuing with this as a chapter-fic.

****

Suddenly

__

Part Three: Wishes

As Rukia struggled to move her body, her eyes grew wide in fear at the look he gave her. Shirosaki walked over to her, and she noticed his form flickered like a projection of an image would. The hollow opened his mouth to speak, but a woman's voice came out. "Rukia, no!"

"Orihime?" the Shinigami asked toward the familiar voice. Her eyes flashed open and she found that she was back inside of Urahara's Shop. She let out a groan of pain from a headache. Damn, what happened?

"Rukia!" Ichigo exclaimed and ran over. "Hey," he greeted and crouched down.

She tried sitting up, only to be pushed back down by the substitute Shinigami. She didn't realize the bandage wrapped around her head, and she also hadn't realized that her pillow was Orihime's lap. "Nnn…what happened?"

There was a long pause--too long for Rukia to bear. As she was about to speak up, Ichigo spoke. "Rukia…you walked in front of a car." His eyes averted to the side. "What were you thinking, dumbass?!"

"I did?" Piece by piece, the memory of the impulse she felt came back to her. Her eyes widened. _Why would I do such a thing?! _her mental voice reprimanded. She received a knowing look from Ichigo, and her eyes widened in fear. "Ichigo…?"

He said nothing. "I'll be back to check on you later. I've gotta go home and make sure Yuzu and Karin are alright." He hadn't been home since last night. Without another word, he stood up and left the room, leaving only Orihime and Rukia.

"Are you feeling alright, Rukia?" the innocent voice of Orihime asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you." Surprisingly, it was only her head that hurt. Her gigai must've been tougher than she thought coming out practically unscathed.

The sliding door opened to the room, and Urahara Kisuke walked inside. "Would you let me speak to Rukia for a moment?" he asked casually as he stepped closer to the two.

"S-Sure," Orihime replied and carefully shifted Rukia's head from her lap to a pillow. She was hesitant, but left nonetheless.

Rukia, now that Ichigo was gone, took the liberty upon herself to sit up. As Urahara's eyes bore into hers, she simply stared. He had something to say, she could tell, and whatever it was, she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it.

"I see you didn't suffer from any serious injuries," he mused. When she nodded and said nothing, he decided to get to the point. "I've been researching this since last night when you were brought here." There was a pause, which the shop owner added in only to make her suffer. He mentally smirked at the anxiety he felt radiating off of her in waves. "There was a similar case, years and years ago. Not really the same circumstances, but similar."

"What do you mean?" Rukia's eyes narrowed.

"These dreams are realer than any old dream. I'm sure you're aware of that firsthand. But, what you don't know, is that the more these dreams occur, the more the person within the dreams can affect you outside of them."

Her eyes widened at the thought, and her body froze in place. Lips quivering, she struggled to reply. "Are…are you saying he can control me outside of my dreams?"

"Not at all. It hasn't gotten that far…_yet_. But as of now, I believe you're able to receive impulses. Strong ones. And, well, you've seen what they can do." Another pause was added in for his own personal enjoyment. He sat down in front of her, all joking aside. "You will probably become dependent on him. Also, these dreams have the ability to become permanent."

"Like…every time I go to sleep?"

He shook his head. "No, as in, one of these days when you go to sleep, you won't wake back up. It's inevitable, really, but with the previous case, it took a few months."

It felt as if her heart had ceased its violent attack against her ribcage and stopped altogether. "Does Ichigo know about this?"

"I was going to leave that up for you to tell him." With that, he stood up and headed toward the door. "Oh, and Rukia," he stopped, looking over his shoulder. "I wouldn't suggest doing anything…stupid." The sound of the door shutting hinted that he left.

Rukia's hands were balled up in her lap, shaking in fury. Her eyes shifted viciously around the room, jerking from spot to spot. _I'm not going to let this happen_. Laying back down, she clenched her eyes shut and tried to clear her thoughts. It didn't take too long until she started slipping into a light slumber.

* * *

She stood with Sode no Shirayuki in her hands, facing the darkness--which was everywhere. She forced the memory of her last dark dream out of her head and focused. And waited; waited for him.

"My, my, my. Someone's angry." The distortion of his voice taunted her more than ever, but she ignored the fear. "Is there something wrong?" The mocking of his tone was nearly unbearable.

"Stay out of my dreams," the Shinigami bit out boldly. An eruption of laughter filled her ears.

"Ruukiiiaaa!" She couldn't quite tell where he was, as it seemed his voice was everywhere. Rukia turned around, hoping he would stop toying with her.

When she felt hot breath on the back of her neck, she inwardly cursed at her paralyzed legs. "And just what do you plan to do if I don't?"

Forcing movement to return to her limbs, she whipped around and swung her zanpakuto in the direction of his voice. The lights flipped on, and as soon as her eyes adjusted, they searched the room. Landing on his form, she wondered how he got so many feet away from her so quickly. "I will kill you."

Again, laughter filled the small room, and he started to walk toward her.

"Dance,--!" her words were cut off as the Ichigo look-alike held a grip around Shirayuki's blade. _No, this is my dream…I control what happens! _she yelled inside of her head. Within a moment's notice, she found that the breath was knocked out of her as her back hit the floor. Rukia looked up to him as his legs stood on either side of her.

Lifting her by the front of her Shinigami uniform, he swung her into the wall. "You fool! I am not so weak-minded like _him_!" He walked over to her body that was slumped against the wall. "Isn't it sad that I can overpower you in your own mind?" Yes, because she was a weak-minded fool like Ichigo, but still, she intrigued him. When he saw her struggling to her feet, he threw a punch into her stomach, causing her to cough violently. Rukia's body fell forward, landing in his arms. Effortlessly, he threw her onto his right shoulder and began walking away.

Along the way, he picked up her zanpakuto, which she had dropped somewhere in the process of being thrown against the wall.

It was a few hours later that Rukia woke up inside of her dream, a different setting this time. There was no park or room now, but instead an open field that went on past the horizon. She jerked to a sit and scanned her new surroundings. "Where are you?" she yelled into the open air. Standing up, she twisted around a few times, trying to find him. "Damn it, where are you?!" She couldn't help the panic that flowed through her body. But, it was a different type of fright. It wasn't like she was afraid of what he was planning next--well, she was, but it wasn't the main reason. It was more that she felt as if her other half had been ripped from her…she was alone…

__

"You will probably become dependent on him."

Her eyes widened. Was that why she was panicking? She needed him? "No, I don't need that monster!" Half of her hoped that calling him that would draw him out. It didn't, and this only furthered her uneasiness. She started breathing erratically, her lungs hurting from the fast panting of hyperventilation. She then felt a hand come from behind her and press against her mouth. Her breathing slowed through her nose, and when she finally regained her steady inhalation, the hand let go.

Rukia took a moment to gather herself and her composure before turning around to face the hollow. However, instead of facing a hollow, she now faced the real Ichigo.

He had his regular scowl on his face. It was needless to say Rukia was shocked, and he could tell she was at a loss for words. "I don't have much time. I let him out to fight a couple of hollows so I could talk to you." This was partly true, and partly not. He wanted to talk to her, but couldn't he have done that in the real world? After all, he wasn't as restricted as his hollow was. No, the main reason he came here was to see inside of her head. What did she dream about? Well, besides that creep, anyway. His eyes scanned the field. "You're not too creative, are ya?" he taunted.

Rukia's eyes narrowed. She had forgotten all of her troubles, worries, and constant reminders of how she shouldn't be depending on Shirosaki just by hearing Ichigo's voice. Was she so easily side-tracked that way, or was it that he knew her well enough to do so? "Like you could do any better," she snorted. "I thought you came to talk to me," she reminded him in an annoyed tone of voice.

"Right." He was good at avoiding what his target conversational topic was--very good. "Listen, Rukia…I don't know what you're thinking, or why you think it, but you've got to snap out of it." His expression was hard and unflinching. "He is _dangerous_, even unconsciously. He's gonna suck you in, and you'll drown. I can't save you outside of the real world, Rukia."

So many things were thrown at her all at once, she wondered where to start her snappy replies. "I don't need you saving me, Ichigo." That was what she hated the most. Why did he always have to play the hero? "I'm disappointed that you don't have faith in me. Do you think I'd really allow myself to be drawn in? My will is stronger than that, dumb ass!" Her attempt to make her words seem light was an epic failure.

"So, if you can control yourself, why do you keep dreaming about him? Why did you jump in front of that car?" His eyes made her close her mouth, telling her it was no use covering up what she did. He knew. "Are you…" The blood rushed to his face, a light pink sitting on his cheeks. "Do you _love _him?" He shuddered at the word, not only because he hated the thought of her loving his hollow¾ let alone anyone else but him¾ , but because it was such a pansy word. Love. That word clashes with everything he tried to be: strong, courageous, the hero…

"No!" She almost responded to quickly. Taking in a fluttery breath, she closed her eyes and then opened them a moment later. "I don't know why I did that. I couldn't stop."

"Is he controlling you?"

Rukia thought back to what Urahara told her earlier. "No, not yet. But he can send impulses…strong ones," she grimaced.

With a nod, Ichigo sighed dismissively. "Well, I need to go." God knows what his hollow was doing. Sure, there were enough hollows to keep him occupied, but what if he got bored? It happened much too easily, and much too often. Ichigo absolutely hated letting that _thing _out, and surprised everyone--including himself--that he had let the beast out for a petty reason like this. "Do you want me to wake you up?"

"No!" This time, they were both positive it was a too-soon reaction.

"Alright."

Rukia watched as he stared at her, but at the same time through her. His reassuring smile offered her comfort, and she half-smiled in return. Silence wafted through the air, but it was a comfortable one. Before she knew it, Ichigo's figure became slightly indistinct, and at first, she thought she was waking up. Ichigo's form disappeared altogether.

Plopping down on the soft grass, she waited.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry for taking a while, my internet was down. I hope you liked it (:

Many thanks to those who reviewed, and also a thanks in advance for those who are going to. -hinthint-


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